Device for extracting mouthpieces from musical instruments

ABSTRACT

A device for extracting differently sized mouthpieces, which have become stuck in brass type musical instruments, wherein the mouthpieces are characterized as having a mouth end portion and a reduced diameter stem end portion dimensioned to be slip-friction fitted into an end of the musical instrument. The device includes a pair of pivotally joined lever devices, each having jaw end portions and operating end portions, the latter when moved towards one another forcing the jaw end portions to move apart for the purpose of extracting the mouthpiece from the instrument. One of the jaw end portions is configured to freely receive the stem end portion and engage beneath the mouthpiece end portion, whereas the other jaw end portion carries a pair of spreader members, which serve to removably grip the stem end portion and bear against an end surface of the instrument. The spreader members are automatically adjustable relative to their associated jaw end portion in order to prevent binding of the stem end portion within the instrument during the extraction operation.

United States Patent Lyon [ 51 July 18,1972

[54] DEVICE FOR EXTRACTING MOUTHPIECFS FROM MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS ArchieL. Lyon, 482 Lamarch Drive, Cheektowaga, NY. 14225 [22] Filed: Jan. 7,1971 [21] Appl.No.: 104,591

[72] Inventor:

Primary Examiner-Richard B. Wilkinson Assistant Examiner-John F.Gonzales Attorney-Bean 8t Bean ABSTRACT A device for extractingdifferently sized mouthpieces, which have become stuck in brass typemusical instruments, wherein the mouthpieces are characterized as havinga mouth end portion and a reduced diameter stem end portion dimensionedto be slip-friction fitted into an end of the musical instrument. Thedevice includes a pair of pivotally joined lever devices, each havingjaw end portions and operating end portions, the latter when movedtowards one another forcing the jaw end portions to move apart for thepurpose of extracting the mouthpiece from the instrument. One of the jawend portions is configured to freely receive the stem end portion andengage beneath the mouthpiece end portion, whereas the other jaw endportion carries a pair of spreader members, which serve to removablygrip the stem end portion and bear against an end surface of theinstrument. The spreader members are automatically adjustable relativeto their associated jaw end portion in order to prevent binding of thestem end portion within the instrument during the extraction operation.

10 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENIEnJuuemz 3577.129

i HIIH'III INVENTOR. ARCH/E L. LYON @Rdud QW ATTORNEYS DEVICE FOREXTRACTING MOUTI-IPIECES FROM MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS SUMMARY OF THEINVENTION tively inexpensive hand tool, which may be employed to extractmouthpieces from brass instruments, wherein the mouthpiece ischaracterized as having a mouth end portion and a reduced diameter stemend portion dimensioned to be slip-friction fitted into an end of theinstrument.

The extraction device of the present invention includes first and secondlever devices each having a jaw end portion, an intermediate portion andan operating end portion; and means for joining the intermediateportions whereby when the operating end portions are moved toward oneanother the jaw end portions are forced apart for the purpose ofextracting the mouthpiece from the instrument. One of the jaw endportions is of fork-like configuration having spaced arm portionscontoured to define an engaging surface or seat for receipt of thebottom surface of the mouth end portion. The other jaw end portion,which is also of fork-like configuration, additionally has the armmembers thereof provided with aligned through openings to freely receivea pair of spreader or gripper members for both reciprocating androtational movement about an axis arranged substantially parallel to theaxis about which the lever devices are pivotally joined. Means in theform of a pair of manually operated spring biased devices carried one oneach of the arm members are provided for the purpose of releasablymaintaining the spreader members in engagement with the stem end portionfor engagement with an end surface of the instrument.

By supporting the spreader members in the manner described, the devicemay accommodate different sizes of mouthpieces. Further, the extractingforce, which is applied by the arm portions against the mouth endportion and by the spreader members against the end surface of theinstrument, is maintained in alignment with the axis of the stem endportion and the end of the instrument in order to prevent binding duringthe extraction operation.

DRAWINGS The nature and mode of the present invention will now be morefully described in the following detailed description taken with theaccompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the device of the present invention showing infull and phantom line its applied and mouth piece extraction positions,respectively;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken generally along line 3-3 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken generally along line 44 of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Reference is now made to FIG. 1, wherein themouthpiece extracting device of the present invention, which isgenerally designated at 10, is shown as being employed to extractmouthpiece 12 from the tubular end portion 14 of a brass type musicalinstrument, such as a trumpet, not shown.

For the purpose of illustration only, mouthpiece 12 will be consideredto include a bell" shaped mouth end portion 16 and a reduced diameterstem end portion 18; the latter being dimensioned to be slip-fitted intoan opening 20 extending through end surface 22 of instrument end portion14. Normally, one or both of stem end portion 18 and opening 20 areslightly tapered in order to provide for friction fitting and theestablishment of a good air seal between such parts.

Extraction device 10 is best shown in FIG. 1 as including first andsecond lever devices 30 and 32, which include operating end portions 34and 36, jaw end portions 38 and 40,

apparent, intermediate portions 42 and 44 are pivotally joined by asuitable pin shaft 46, such that when operating and portions 34 and 36are moved towards one another, as by being squeezed" by the hand of auser, jaw end portions 38 and 40 are forced apart for the purpose ofextracting mouthpiece 12 from instrument end portion 14.

law end portion 38 is preferably of fork-like configuration, wherein apair of arm portions 48 cooperate to define an annular, beveled seat orsurface 50 for accommodating the lower surface of mouth end portion 16.It will be understood that arm portions 48 are spaced apart sufficientlyto freely accommodate therebetween the maximum diameter stem end portionof the size range of mouthpieces for which the present device isdesigned for use.

Jaw end portion 40 is also preferably of fork-like configuration,wherein a pair of arm members 52, as in the case of arm portions 48, arespaced apart sufiiciently to accommodate the maximum size mouthpiece forwhich the device is designed. In accordance with the present invention,jaw end portion 40 further includes spreader means in the form of a pairof spreader or gripper members 54, and means in the form of a pair ofmanual operating members 56 and a pair of leaf springs 58 for releasablymaintaining spreader members 54 in engagement with stem end portion 18when positioned therebetween.

Members 54 are freely supported within axially aligned arm member, boreopenings 60 for both reciprocating and rotational movement about an axisdispos'ed substantially parallel to the axis of pin shaft 46, and areprovided adjacent opposite ends thereof with annular grooves 62 and headenlargements 64. Head enlargements 64 are best shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 asbeing formed with planar bearing surfaces 66, which are adapted toengage instrument end surface 22 and facing, concave gripping surfaces68, which are adapted to be removably biased into engagement withopposite sides of stem end portion 18. 54

Operating members 56 are shown in the drawings as being of generallyU-shaped construction and as being mounted in a straddling relationshipand for pivotal movement relative to arm members 52 by means of a pinshaft 70. Further, as best shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, operating members 56are formed adjacent one end thereof with slot openings 72, whichcooperate with annular grooves 62 to provide a loose fitting connectionbetween the operator members and members 54. Spring members 58 are inturn fitted within openings 74 formed in arm members 52 and arranged tobear against operating members 56, so as to normally bias the latter andthus gripping members 56, so as to normally into the positionillustrated in FIG. 3. As will be apparent, a user may reciprocategripping members 54 in opposite directions against the bias of springs58 in order to pennit stem end portion 18 to be positioned betweengripping surfaces 68 by merely employing his thumb and index finger tosqueeze together operating members 56 at ends thereof remote from slotopenings 72. When sqeezing" pressure on the operating members isreleased to permit engagement of gripping surfaces 68 with the stem endportion, the gripping surfaces serve to position and maintain bearingsurfaces 66 in a substantially coplanar relationship.

Again referring to FIG. 1, it will be seen that operating end portion 34is provided with a lengthwise extending upwardly opening slot recess 80,and is contoured adjacent its free end, as at 82, so as to threadablysupport a screw adjustment device 84 for movement lengthwise within slotopening 80. Also, in FIG. 1 operating end portion 36 is shown asincluding a handle portion 86, which is pivotally joined by a pin shaft88 to intermediate portion 44; and a link portion 90, which is pivotallyjoined adjacent one end thereof to handle portion 86 by pin shaft 92.The other end of link 90 is slideably received within slot recess 80 forpositional engagement with the inwardly extending end of screwadjustment device 84. The axes of pin shafts 88 and 92 are arrangedsubstantially parallel to pin shaft 46. Thus, it will be apparent thatwith the lever arrangement illustrated adjustment of screw device 84inwardly of slot 80, or

and intermediate portions 42 and 44, respectively. As will be to theleft as viewed in FIG. 1, serves to initially rotate handle portion 86in a counter-clockwise direction about pin shaft 88, also as viewed inFIG. 1. This in turn serves to increase the distance through which jawend portions 38 and 40 are moved apart when operating end portions 34and 36 are squeezed" together during the extracting operation.

The device thus far described is completed by the provision of a tensionspring device 96 whose opposite ends are connected respectively tooperating end portion 34 and intermediate portion 44. Spring device 96serves to return the elements of the device to their full line positionsillustrated in FIG. 1 after squeezing" pressure has been removed fromoperating end portions 34 and 36.

When a mouthpiece extracting operation is to be performed, a user wouldnonnally employ one hand to support the instrument, while using hisother hand to simultaneously position arm portions 38 and arm members 40about stem end portion 18 and squeeze" operating members 56 to permitpassage of the stem end portion to position between gripping surfaces68. Preferably, when the operating, members are the gripping surfaces,the device is arranged in the full line position illustrated in FIG. 1,wherein bearing surfaces 66 are arranged in abutting engagement withsurface 22. Thereafter, the mouthpiece may be extracted by squeezing"together handle portion 86 and operating end portion 34 to effectmovement of the elements of the device into the phantom line positionshown in FIG. 1. It will be apparent that during this operation, seat 50is moved upwardly into engagement with the lower surface of mouth endportion 16; gripping members 54 being free to pivot relative to armmembers 52in order to maintain bearing surfaces 66 substantiallyparallel to the plane of seat 50. This insures proper seating of themouth end portion within the seat in order to avoid scratching of theformer, and serves to subsequently maintain the extracting force alignedwith the stem end portion in order to avoid bending of the latter. Afterextraction, the mouthpiece may be removed from the device by squeezingthe operating members or by merely pulling the stem end portion in anaxial direction from between the gripping surfaces.

Alternatively, the device may be applied by first seating the mouth endportion within the seat and thereafter squeezing" the operating endportions to force the gripping members to slide downwardly along thestem end portion into engagement within surface 22. This latterprocedure is, however, not recommended, since it may result inscratching of the mouthpiece.

I claim:

1. A device for extracting differently sized mouthpieces from musicalinstruments, each said mouthpiece being characterized as having a mouthend portion and a reduced diameter stem end portion dimensioned to beslip-friction fitted into an end of said instrument, said devicecomprising in combination:

a first lever device, said first lever device having a first jaw endportion having surface means for engaging beneath said mouth end portionradially of said stem end portion a first operating end portion and afirst intermediate portion, said first jaw end portion being non-movablyfixed to said first intermediate portion;

a second lever device, said second lever device having a second jaw endportion having surface means for engaging a surface of said end of saidinstrument radially of said stem end portion, a second operating endportion and a second intermediate portion, said second jaw end portionbeing non-movably fixed to said second intermediate portion; and

a single hinge pin for pivotally joining said intermediate portionswhereby when said operating end portions are moved towards one anothersaid jaw end portions are forced to move apart along an arcuate path toposition said surface means thereof in engagement with said mouth endportion and said instrument surface and to subsequently pull said stemend portion from said end of said instrument, one of said jaw endportions being characterized as having said surface means thereofsupported thereon for independent pivotal movement relative thereto andthe other of said jaw end portions about an axis arranged substantiallyparallel to an axis about which said lever devices are pivotally joined.2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said movably supported.surface means includes a pair of members and means to releasablymaintain said members in engagement with said stem end portion.

3. A device for extracting differently sized mouthpieces from musicalinstruments, each said mouthpiece being characterized as having a mouthend portion and a reduced diameter stem end portion dimensioned to beslip-friction fitted into an end of said instrument, said devicecomprising in combination:

first and second lever devices each having a jaw end portion, andintermediate portion and an operating end portion;

means for pivotally joining said intermediate portions whereby when saidoperating end portions are moved towards one another said jaw endportions are forced apart, one of said jaw end portions being offork-like configuration and having spaced arm portions arranged tofreely straddle said stem end portion and engage beneath said mouth endportion;

spreader means carried by another of said jaw end portions forindependent movement about an axis arranged substantially parallel to anaxis about which said lever devices are pivotally joined; and

means for releasably maintaining said spreader means in engagement withsaid stem end portion for engagement with an end surface of said end ofsaid instrument, whereby when said arm portions are positioned tostraddle and said spreader means are positioned to engage said stem endportion and said jaw end portions are forced apart, said arm portionsand said spreader means are brought into engagement with said mouth endportion and said end surface of said instrument, respectively, and saidstem end portion subsequently withdrawn from said end of saidinstrument.

4. A device according to claim 3, wherein said means for releasablymaintaining said spreader means in engagement with said stem end portionincludes spring means tending to bias said spreader means intoengagement with said stem end portion and manually operated means forremoving said spreader means from engagement with said stem end portionagainst the bias of said spring means.

5. A device according to claim 3, wherein said spreader means includes apair of relatively aligned members slideably and rotatably supported bysaid other jaw end portion, and said means for releasably maintainingsaid spreader means in engagement with said stem end portion includesspring means tending to bias facing ends of said members towards oneanother for engagement with said stem end portion when disposedtherebetween and manually operated means for moving said facing endsapart against the bias of said spring means.

6. A device according to claim 3, wherein said other jaw end portion isof fork-like configuration having arm members thereof spaced apart tofreely accommodate said stem end portion therebetween, said arm membershaving axially aligned openings therethrough;

said spreader means includes a pair of gripper members supported onewithin each of said arm member openings for both rotary andreciprocating movement therewithin, said gripper members having concavegripping surfaces on facing ends thereof and bearing surfaces arrangedsubstantially normal to said gripping surfaces; and

said means for releasably maintaining said spreader means in engagementwith said stem end portion includes a pair of manual operating memberspivotally supported one on each of said arm members and looselyconnected one to each of said gripper members whereby said grippermembers are forced to reciprocate in opposite directions when saidoperating members are relatively pivoted, and spring means tending toreciprocate said gripper members towards one another whereby to placesaid gripping surfaces in engagement with said stem end portion, saidgripping surfaces when engaged tending to maintain said bearing surfacesin a coplanar relationship for engagement with said end surface of saidinstrument.

7. A device according to claim 6, wherein said spring means includes apair of leaf springs carried one on each of said arm members forengagement with an associated operating member.

8. A device according to claim 7, wherein said operating end portionsinclude means adjustable to vary the distance through which said jaw endportions are forced apart when said operating end portions are movedtowards one another.

9. A device according to claim 8, wherein said operating end portion ofsaid first lever device having said one jaw end portion includes a slotopening extending lengthwise thereof and a screw device threadablysupported for movement lengthwise within said slot opening, and saidoperating end portion of said second lever device having said other jawend portion includes a handle portion pivotally joined to saidintermediate portion of said second lever device for movement about anaxis arranged parallel to said pivot axis and 'a second link, saidsecond link having one end portion supported by v UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE, CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION .Patent No. 3,677,129 Dated July 18,1972 Invent or(s) Archie L. Lyon I It is certified thaterror appears inthe above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are herebycorrected as shown below:

Column '2, line 36, after "18", c'm'e'i' "5L line E8, "56" should read54 Signed and sealed this 19th day of December 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR-.

, ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer.

Commissioner of Patents F OYRM PO-1050 (10459) USCOMM-DC 0O376-PO9 U45.GOVERNMINT HUNTING OFFICE: I96] O-Eifi lll,

UNITED STATES ?ATENT @mm QETENQATE W Patent No. 3 ,677 ,129 Dated July18 P 1972 Invent or(s) Arohie L. Lyon It is certified that error appearsin the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are herebycorrected as shown below:

Column 2, line 36, after "18'', ca nce l "5h"; line L ,8, "56" shouldread 54 Signed and sealed this 19th day of December 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer 1 Commissionerof Patents FORM PO-105O (10-69) USCOMM-DC 60376-1969 u.s. GOVERNMENTPRINTING OFFICE: I969 0-366-J3L

1. A device for extracting differently sized mouthpieces from musicalinstruments, each said mouthpiece being characterized as having a mouthend portion and a reduced diameter stem end portion dimensioned to beslip-friction fitted into an end of said instrument, said devicecomprising in combination: a first lever device, said first lever devicehaving a first jaw end portion having surface means for engaging beneathsaid mouth end portion radially of said stem end portion a firstoperating end portion and a first intermediate portion, said first jawend portion being non-movably fixed to said first intermediate portion;a second lever device, said second lever device having a second jaw endportion having surface means for engaging a surface of said end of saidinstrument radially of said stem end portion, a second operating endportion and a second intermediate portion, said second jaw end portionbeing non-movably fixed to said second intermediate portion; and asingle hinge pin for pivotally joining said intermediate portionswhereby when said operating end portions are moved towards one anothersaid jaw end portions are forced to move apart along an arcuate path toposition said surface means thereof in engagement with said mouth endportion and said instrument surface and to subsequently pull said stemend portion from said end of said instrument, one of said jaw endportions being characterized as having said surface means thereofsupported thereon for independent pivotal movement relative thereto andthe other of said jaw end portions about an axis arranged substantiallyparallel to an axis about which said lever devices are pivotally joined.2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said movably supported surfacemeans includes a pair of members and means to releasably maintain saidmembers in engagement with said stem end portion.
 3. A device forextracting differently sized mouthpieces from musical instruments, eachsaid mouthpiece being characterized as having a mouth end portion and areduced diameter stem end portion dimensioned to be slip-friction fittedinto an end of said instrument, said device comprising in combination:first and second lever devices each having a jaw end portion, andintermediate portion and an operating end portion; means for pivotallyjoining said intermediate portions whereby when said operating endportions are moved towards one another said jaw end portions are forcedapart, one of said jaw end portions being of fork-like configuration andhaving spaced arm portions arranged to freely straddle said stem endportion and engage beneath said mouth end portion; spreader meanscarried by another of said jaw end portions for independent movementabout an axis arranged substantially parallel to an axis about whichsaid lever devices are pivotally joined; and means for releasablymaintaining said spreader means in engagement with said stem end portionfor engagement with an end surface of said end of said instrument,whereby when said arm portions are positioned to straddle and saidspreader means are positioned to engage said stem end portion and saidjaw end portions are forced apart, said arm portions and said spreadermeans are brought into engagement with said mouth end portion and saidend surface of said instrument, respectively, and said stem end portionsubsequently withdrawn from said end of said instrument.
 4. A deviceaccording to claim 3, wherein said means for releasably maintaining saidspreader means in engagement with said stem end portion includes springmeans tending to bias said spReader means into engagement with said stemend portion and manually operated means for removing said spreader meansfrom engagement with said stem end portion against the bias of saidspring means.
 5. A device according to claim 3, wherein said spreadermeans includes a pair of relatively aligned members slideably androtatably supported by said other jaw end portion, and said means forreleasably maintaining said spreader means in engagement with said stemend portion includes spring means tending to bias facing ends of saidmembers towards one another for engagement with said stem end portionwhen disposed therebetween and manually operated means for moving saidfacing ends apart against the bias of said spring means.
 6. A deviceaccording to claim 3, wherein said other jaw end portion is of fork-likeconfiguration having arm members thereof spaced apart to freelyaccommodate said stem end portion therebetween, said arm members havingaxially aligned openings therethrough; said spreader means includes apair of gripper members supported one within each of said arm memberopenings for both rotary and reciprocating movement therewithin, saidgripper members having concave gripping surfaces on facing ends thereofand bearing surfaces arranged substantially normal to said grippingsurfaces; and said means for releasably maintaining said spreader meansin engagement with said stem end portion includes a pair of manualoperating members pivotally supported one on each of said arm membersand loosely connected one to each of said gripper members whereby saidgripper members are forced to reciprocate in opposite directions whensaid operating members are relatively pivoted, and spring means tendingto reciprocate said gripper members towards one another whereby to placesaid gripping surfaces in engagement with said stem end portion, saidgripping surfaces when engaged tending to maintain said bearing surfacesin a coplanar relationship for engagement with said end surface of saidinstrument.
 7. A device according to claim 6, wherein said spring meansincludes a pair of leaf springs carried one on each of said arm membersfor engagement with an associated operating member.
 8. A deviceaccording to claim 7, wherein said operating end portions include meansadjustable to vary the distance through which said jaw end portions areforced apart when said operating end portions are moved towards oneanother.
 9. A device according to claim 8, wherein said operating endportion of said first lever device having said one jaw end portionincludes a slot opening extending lengthwise thereof and a screw devicethreadably supported for movement lengthwise within said slot opening,and said operating end portion of said second lever device having saidother jaw end portion includes a handle portion pivotally joined to saidintermediate portion of said second lever device for movement about anaxis arranged parallel to said pivot axis and a second link, said secondlink having one end portion supported by said handle portion for pivotalmovement about an axis disposed parallel to said pivot axis and having asecond end portion slidably received within said slot opening forpositioning engagement by said screw device.
 10. A device according toclaim 9, wherein there is also provided in combination a tension springdevice, said spring device having opposite ends thereof connected tosaid operating end portion of said first lever device and to saidintermediate portion of said second lever device.